Mortar backing device



S. J. MAYTAN June 12, 195] MORTAR BACKING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Samuel J, May/an JNVENTOR.

Filed Sept. ,50, 1948 June 12, 1951 5 J, MAYTAN 2,556,625

MORTAR BACKING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30, 1948 2 Shee'ts-Shee'i 2 Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in building construction tools.

An object of this invention is to render it possible to apply motar between juxtaposed blocks,

after the blocks have been set in the proper relative positions.

Another object of this invention is to apply properly mortar between juxtaposed building blocks having recesses at the ends thereof, which recesses are normally and conventionally used for insulation purposes, after the blocks have been placed in the proper relative position, by means of a pair of mortar retainers positioned between building blocks, at the junction thereof, the mortar retainers being bodily movable with relation to each other in order that insertion of the same may be efiected and in order that they may be in the proper position to prevent mortar from flowing into the insulator recesses.

Another object of this invention is to urge the mortar retainers away from each other to clampingly engage the edges of building blocks thereby retaining the said retainers in place, and to lock the retainers in the proper spaced relation with respect to each other by means of a pivotally actuatable member carried by a handle and itself being resiliently urged to a selected position.

Another object of this invention is to obviate an appreciable amount of the time and effort involved in laying blocks, preventing the necessity of first placing the mortar at the edge of the blocks and then setting the same and consequently saving an appreciable quantit of mortar which would be normall wasted. I

Ancillary Objects and features of novelty will become apparent to those skilled in the art, in following the description of the preferred form of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pair of blocks having the device applied thereto in the operative position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is an elevational View of the device;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of the device shown in Figure 4 and taken substantially on the line 55 thereof and in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating details of construction of the handle and taken on the 2 line 66 of Figure 4 and in the direction of the arrows.

The accepted manner of laying concrete blocks is to place mortar on the block therebelow and then place mortar on one edge of the block to be laid, setting the same on the mortar on the lower course and setting the edge mortar against the next adjacent block. It is appreciated that a skilled bricklayer does not waste an appreciable amount of mortar, however, there will always be some waste, the mortar flowing into the normal insulating recesses III of the blocks I2, which are in themselves conventional in character. Further, it is with care that the blocks having the mortar on the side edges thereof have to be handled.

It is within the purview of the present invention to teach a way of applying mortar between juxtaposed blocks and more specifically in the junction thereof, after the blocks have been set in the course.

This is accomplished by the utility of the device seen best in Figure 4. Here a retainer [4 which is in the form of a longitudinal strip is supplied with a longitudinal concave outer surface I6. This outer surface is adapted to retain mortar, when applied from the outside surface of the blocks. Obviously, the retainer I 4 is adapted to be positioned within the recess I0, as seen in Figure 2. The side edges of the retainer I l engage the endmost portions of the recess I0 and, of course, a complemental portion of the next adjacent recess I8 of another block 20.

A second substantially identical retainer 22 is supplied with the same type of longitudinal recess 24 therein, serving an identical function. The said retainer It has a pair of brackets 26, 28, respectively, attached thereto, which are also attached to cross members 30 and 32, respectively. These cross members extend across the top of both retainers I4 and 22 and are spaced with relation to each other. Between the cross members 32 and 34 there is a handle 38 pivotally mounted on a pin 40. The said handle 38 is mounted on a pivot pin 40 which extends through the cross members 30 and 32, respectively, atone end thereof. A recess 42 is supplied in the handle 33 intermediate its length in order to accommodate the end of a rod 44, pivotally carrying the same on a pivot pin 46. The function of this rod will be described in detail subsequently.

The said retainer 22 has a bracket 38 attached at the top thereof with bearings and 52 formed therein. These bearings accommodate a pin 54 which extends through another bearing 56. The said bearing 56 is formed at the end of a bracket 58, which is, in turn, secured to the retainer 22. It is noted from an inspection of Figure 4 that the said bearings 59 and 52, respectively, are elongated in order to supply a prescribed amount of travel for the pin 55 therein. This, of course, renders the retainer 22 bodily movable with respect to the retainer H8.

An extensible member generally indicated at 6E! is attached to the said retainers l4 and 22, respectively, remote from the said handle 28. The preferable form of the extensible member is telescopic, including a tube $2 which is attached by means of a boss 64 to the retainer It and a second smaller diameter tube 56 attached to the retainer 22 by a boss 68, the last-mentioned tube 66 being slidable within the first-mentioned tube 62. Each tub has a through opening it and '52, respectively, provided therein for accommodation of a cam 15 having a dwell 35 therein. This cam is either rigidly secured to or formed integral with the rod Hi. The function of the rod 3 is now deemed readily apparent. Upon reciprocation of the rod by means of actuation of the handle 38, the cam is slidably received in the matching openings 78 and $2, the cam acting to urge the tubes 66 and 62 with respect to each other, spreading the same. This, in turn, motivates the retainer 22 to bias the same away from the re tainer M.

A spring 80' is attached to one end to one of the cross members and at the other end to the cam 14. The spring obviously reacts on the rod 44 and the cross member in order to constantly bias the rod and, therefore, the handle to a pivoted position. Due to the shape of the cam having the dwell E6 therein, it is appreciated that the spring 80 cooperating with the dwell which, in turn, cooperates with the openings '10 and 12, will retain the retainers l4 and 22 in a pr'e-se'lected position with respect to each other.

The spacing of the retainers I4 and 22 is such that When the retainers are locked with respect to each other, they will fit snugly Within the conventionally sized and practically standard size recesses in building blocks. Then, mortar may be applied from the outside surfaces of the building blocks at the junction thereof without the same entering the insulating recesses.

To remove th device, all that is necessary is to depress the handle 38 thereby urging the larger portion of the cam in the openings H3 and 72 and pulling the retainer 22 into a closer position with respect to the retainer Hl.

A spring 86 or the like may be disposed in the tube 62, reacting on the retainer M. The opposite end of the spring 36 seats on the end of the tube 66, thereby reacting on the retainer 22. This spring serves the function of normally and constantly biasing or urging the retainer M to assist in firmly clamping the device within the conventional insulating recesses of building blocks.

For assembly purposes the cross members 313 and 32, respectively, may be made of a single piece if found desirable, having a suitable opening therein for accommodation of th elements or, as shown in Figure 5, may be made in two pieces 30 and 32 having a number of straps 88 extending thereacross, the number being dictated by the desires of the manufacturer.

It is apparent that certain variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. For use in applying mortar between juxtaposed building blocks having insulating recesses at the ends thereof, after the blocks have been placed in the proper relative position, a device for preventing mortar from falling in the insulating recesses while applying mortar comprising a first and second mortar retainer, a cross member attached to said first retainer, means forming a guide attached to said cross member and said second retainer securing said second retainer to said cross member for lateral displacement, and pivotally mounted means for laterally moving said second retainer with respect to said first ber attached to said first retainer, means attached to said cross member mounting said second retainer thereon for lateral displacement, pivotally mounted means for laterally moving said second retainer with respect to said first retainer, and a spring reacting on. said retainers constantly urging said retainers relative to each other.

3. For use in applying mortar between juxtaposed building blocks having insulating recesses at the ends thereof, after the blocks have been placed in the proper relative position, a device for preventing mortar from falling in the insulating recesses while applying mortar comprising a first and second mortar retainer, a cross member attached to said first retainer, means attached to said cross member mounting said second retainer thereon for lateral displacement, pivotally mounted means for later-ally moving said second retainer with respect to said first retainer, a spring reacting on said retainers constantly urging said retainers relative to each other, and a locking device actuated by said second retainer laterally moving means to releasabl'y retain said second retainer in a predetermined spaced relation relative to said first retainer.

4. The combination of claim 1, and said lastinentioned means including a longitudinally extensible member attached at its ends to said retainer, a handle pivoted to said cross member, and means pivoted to said handle for expanding said extensible member.

5. The combination of claim 3, and said lastmentioned means including a longitudinally extensible member attached at its ends to said retainer, a handle pivoted to said cross member, and means pivoted to said handle for expanding said extensible member.

6.- In a device for restricting mortar flow between building blocks, a first and second retainer adapted to be disposed in a block joint behind the outer surfaces of the blocks forming the joint, a cross member fixed to said first retainer, said second retainer movably secured to said cross member, a pair of relatively extensibl members having openings and attached to said retainers remote from said cross member, and a pivotally mounted rod having a cam slidable in the openings to extend said members thereby spreading said retainers.

'7. In a devicefor restricting mortar flow between building blocks, a first and second retainer adapted to be disposed in a block joint behind the outer surfaces of the blocks forming the joint, a cross member fixed'to said first retainer, said second retainer movably secured to said cross member, a pair of relatively extensible members having openings and attached to said retainers remote from said cross members, a pivotally mounted rod having a cam slidable in the openings to extend said members thereby spreading said retainers, a handle pivoted to said cross member supporting said rod, and resilient means for constantly pivotally urging said handle.

8. In a device for restricting mortar flow between building blocks, a first and second retainer adapted to be disposed in a block joint behind the outer surfaces of the blocks forming the joint, a cross member fixed to said first retainer, said second retainer movably secured to said cross member, a pair of relatively extensible members having openings and attached to said retainers remote from said cross members, a pivotally mounted rod having a cam slidable in the openings to extend said members thereby spreading said retainers, a handle pivoted to said cross member supporting said rod, resilient means for constantly pivotally urging said handle, and a spring reacting on said mortar retainers biasing said retainers with respect to each other.

9. In a device for restricting mortar flow between building blocks, a first and second retainer adapted to be disposed in a block joint behind the outer surfaces of the blocks forming the joint, a cross member fixed to said first retainer, said second retainer movably secured to said cross member, a pair of relatively extensibl members having openings and attached to said retainers remote from said cross members, a pivotally mounted rod having a cam slidable in the openings to extend said members thereby spreading said retainers, a handle pivoted to said cross member supporting said rod, resilient mean for constantly pivotally urging said handle, a handle reacting on said mortar retainers biasing said retainers with respect to each other, and said retainers having curved surfaces to accommodate mortar.

10. A device for backing mortar in the joint between building blocks in applying mortar after placement of the blocks, said device comprising a pair of longitudinal retainers adapted to be removably disposed between juxtaposed building blocks, cam actuated means for moving one retainer with respect to the other for insertion and withdrawal of said retainers, means operatively connected with said last mentioned means for locking said retainers in a predetermined spaced relation, said locking means including a spring reacting on said cam actuated means opposing the operation thereof and resiliently retaining said cam actuated means in a predetermined position, thereby locking said retainers in the predetermined spaced relationship.

SAMUEL J. MAYTAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,086,121 Atterbury Feb. 3, 1914 1,453,174 Patmor Apr. 24, 1923 2,075,591 Schuster Mar, 30, 1937 2,239,989 'Britton Apr. 29, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,054 Great Britain Jan. 3, 1913 

